


Eyes on the Past

by SekiaSweet



Series: Anchored to the Past [5]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Character Death, Circle of Magi, Cullen gossiping, Cullen's Nightmares, Date Night, Deviates From Canon, Dream Sequence, F/M, Fluff, Getting smutty out the gate, I really need a beta...and a drink, Kinloch Hold (Dragon Age), Lyrium Addiction, NSFW, Nightmares, Okay a lotta bit, Right of Annulment, Rite of Tranquility, Sending Crystals (Dragon Age), Sera's Cookies, Skyhold Destroyed, Solas's Frescoes, Solavellan Angst, Temple of Mythal (Dragon Age), The Dales (Dragon Age), The Fade, Violence, Well of Sorrows (Dragon Age), a little bit, more smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:15:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29502564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SekiaSweet/pseuds/SekiaSweet
Summary: Cullen and Briseis head to the Arbor Wilds in search of answers about the Eye of Mythal
Relationships: Female Inquisitor & Dorian Pavus, Female Inquisitor&Iron Bull, Female Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford, Female Lavellan & Dorian Pavus, Female Lavellan&Iron Bull, Female Lavellan/Cullen Rutherford
Series: Anchored to the Past [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2040350
Comments: 7
Kudos: 6





	1. Faded Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is best not read at work

Briseis and Cullen rode hard south through the Dales, avoiding main roads where possible to avoid detection. On the third day of their journey, they camped in a small clearing when it became too dark to travel and she set up wards around them as he prepared the rabbit he'd killed when they stopped to water their mounts earlier in the day. Afterwards, Briseis watched as Godric wandered away to graze nearby vegetation while she told Cullen all that Flemeth said to her in the Fade.

“So the wisp of Mythal makes your magic more powerful?” he asked.

“Yes,” Briseis replied. “Supposedly it will help me to wield the orb. Makes sense as the foci are supposed to channel the power of the Elvhen gods. Does that worry you?”

“I just want you to be careful with all of this,” he replied, stroking her cheek. “You only wielded the orb Corypheus used once and never had the chance to understand how it worked before it was destroyed.”

“And this is why you wanted to travel to the Arbor Wilds?” she asked.

He nodded. “Yes. I figure that since the orb is Mythal's, we may find some answers there,” he said. “Or at least something that could point us in the direction we need to go. But what about this new threat Flemeth was talking about?”

Briseis shrugged and looked up at the sky as stars flickered about the two moons overhead. “That's the part I still don't understand,” she answered, watching her breath on the air. The conditions weren't quite right for snow, but it was still cold enough to make her miss Skyhold. “But I have a feeling we'll find out soon enough.” She gave a flirtatious look out of the corner of her eye. “You know, this is the longest we've ever been completely alone together and all we've done is talk about the orb and what Flemeth told me.”

He grinned at her slightly, “it's a shame, isn't it?” he replied. “Do you want to talk about something else?”

She sat up on her knees and turned to face him, campfire dancing across her caramel skin. She bit her bottom lip slightly as her eyes took the measure of him. “I don't really want to talk at all,” she said.

He turned towards her. “Well, what do you...?” Before he could finish his question, she grabbed a handful of his curly hair as she leaned towards him on her knees. Her lips parted slightly as she pressed them to his. He cradled the left side of her neck as he took in a sharp breath and opened his mouth, luring her tongue inside. As he leaned towards her, urging her back slightly, she withdrew to trace the scar over his lip with her tongue.

“How are you feeling?” he asked breathlessly.

She nibbled at his earlobe. “Like I've been wanting to finish what we started behind that sculpture for far too long,” Briseis whispered as she pressed into him, urging him back onto the bedroll as she climbed on top of him, returning to kissing him. Obviously he had been as well; she could feel him hardening quickly as he grabbed at her hips, pressing her down onto him as she ground back and forth across him.

Cullen sat upright, releasing her hips as she pulled at his shirt, letting her fingernails graze across his skin with a feather-light touch as she pulled it overhead. He gave a mischievous grin as he slid a hand up her back with a similarly light touch, causing goosebumps to erupt across her flesh as the thumb on his other hand grazed across her full lips. He kissed at her neck before beginning to insist that her shirt be removed. He hesitated when his hand skimmed along her right breast, moving upward and brushed across her new scar as she pulled off her shirt.

“I'm fine,” she assured him as she pressed herself flush against him, guiding him down again. She nipped at his neck before working her way down the length of his torso, his breath quickening as her lips brushed past his ribcage. Her eyes flit towards his and his breath caught when her hands began reaching for the laces of his trousers. She pulled them off effortlessly and grinned slightly when he began to shiver as she let her delicate fingers slowly travel up to where his hardened member stood waiting. She raised her eyes again to watch his torso undulate with his breathing as she took him into her mouth, hearing him inhale sharply.

She slid her lips up and down, slowly at first, using her tongue to tease along his shaft and he grabbed a handful of her dark hair, tightening his grip slightly as he groaned when she began to suck at him gently. She stroked him with her left hand as her tongue teased and her lips continued to glide across the length his shaft. Briseis could feel the muscles in his legs tense up as his breath caught in his throat as her hand grazed across his stones, emitting a gentle bit of magic as her fingers glossed over the delicate flesh there. She looked up at him to see him struggling to control himself as long as possible. His toes were curling alongside her legs and he was panting heavily as he said, “I need you. I need you **now**.” His eyes were completely glazed over, watching her hazel-greens glint when she ran her tongue across the tip of him once more, causing him to tremble.

She quickly slipped her trousers and smalls from about her legs and straddled him, moaning loudly as she guided him inside her. Briseis paused once he was fully sheathed, a brow arched as her lips curled with pleasure. Cullen placed his hands firmly on her hips once she started to move, she clutched at his chest as he went about grabbing at her cheeks while guiding her up and down as they found their rhythm. Briseis's hands moved down his torso to where his hands sat on her hips, lacing her fingers through his as her moans filled the air around them. He watched her above him, her hazel-green eyes filled with ardor as she rode him and he sat up after a few moments, bringing his face close to hers as she rocked against him, draping her arms around his neck. “This is all I've thought about since we parted ways with the others,” he groaned in her ear as his hand slid up her back and grabbed a handful of her dark wavy hair. He tilted her head back and began nibbling at her throat.

“I know,” she purred. “I saw the look you gave me,” she gasped at his sudden upward thrust as she arched backwards, “while we were resting earlier today.” Cullen shifted, guiding her onto her back and began to thrust into her faster, noting the feel of her magic around him as the campfire's flames began to grow even hotter. “The campfire,” he murmured in her ear. She held him tighter, locking her legs around his waist. “Please don't stop!” she begged, causing him to lose focus as his movements became more erratic.

Briseis dug her fingers into Cullen's back as his arm encircled her hips, pulling her closer to him as he drove her over the edge, coming loudly and causing a burst of flame to rise from the campfire. Her walls tightened around him and he growled loudly into her ear from his own orgasm before coming to rest on top of her, planting a trail of kisses from behind her ear to her collarbone then rolling onto his back. She rolled over onto her belly, resting on her forearms as turned to face him. “I think it's a good thing there is no one around to hear us,” she said once her breathing returned to normal.

He laughed. “You may be right,” he replied, kissing her shoulder. Cullen propped up on his elbow and let his fingers travel up her back, causing her to shiver before leaning in to kiss her. “Get some sleep. I'll take the first watch.”

“We're alone for miles in every direction and I set mines around the camp,” she murmured drowsily as her eyes fluttered and she grasped at his arm. “Stay and sleep with me. We still have a long ride tomorrow and you're _warm_.” He chuckled and took her into his arms as she yawned softly, pulling the blankets over them.

It is not the howling of wolves that Briseis dreams about as she has for the past several nights. She is not even in the forests tonight. She simply wanders the Fade, but then wonders at Cullen and what he may dream about. She watches as the Fade changes around her, placing her inside a tower made of stone similar to that of the castle in Redcliffe. In the distance, she can hear screaming and she senses blood magic on the air. She peeks around the corner and sees him, a much younger version of Cullen, dressed in Templar armor and trapped inside a magical cage.

The realization that she is in Kinloch Hold is quickly eclipsed by the realization that she is watching _Cullen's_ dream. But it shouldn't be possible at all for her to be here, given that she is not a Dreamer. It was always Solas who led her through dreams when they would explore the Fade together.

Briseis watches from the shadows as he speaks to a woman with dark red hair, armed with a pair of daggers. She is accompanied by a much younger-looking Leliana, Morrigan and King Alistair. She recognizes the woman at once as Sayuri Cousland, the Hero of Ferelden. Cullen seems to be frantically warning them about something happening upstairs and Briseis waits until the Warden and her companions rush up the steps before she emerges from her hiding place.

She calls his name as she approaches and Cullen closes his eyes when he sees her. “ _A demon come to me disguised as the woman I love,_ ” he piteously says. It tears at her to hear the desolation in his voice.

“ _Cullen, I'm really here,_ ” she tells him as she looks around. “ _I'm not quite sure how I'm here, but I am._ ”

He desperately shakes his head, closing his eyes as though trying to will her away. “ _No_ ,” he says. _“You have come to torment me! Is it not enough to trap me here in this place?!”_

She dispels his prison, surprised that she is able to use her magic in this place, and steps toward him slowly, but he backs away defensively. She understands and keeps her distance, knowing he could lash out if he felt threatened. _“This is only a dream, Cullen”_ she assures him. _“You and I are asleep at camp on our way to the Arbor Wilds.”_

Cullen seems to believe her when she tells him they are traveling to the Wilds. _“Thank the Maker,”_ he murmurs into her hair as he embraces her. He holds her for several moments before tilting her chin upwards to peer into her hazel-green eyes.

 _“I don't understand how you're here,”_ he says to her.

 _“Neither do I, to be honest,”_ she replies. _“I was never a Dreamer, so this is likely a perk of my expanded magic. And another thing I need to learn to control,”_ she thinks aloud. Briseis looks up seeing the unease in his face. _“What is it?”_ she asks.

 _“I never wanted you to see this,”_ he says quietly. _“We should return to the waking world.”_

 _“Cullen,”_ she begins, before he raises his hand.

 _“I know,”_ he replies. _“But this would be better discussed outside of the Fade.”_

Stars were beginning to fade overhead when she awoke in his arms as his eyes drifted open to look down at her, the strain from before written across his face again. She reached up to reassure him, but Cullen shook his head and quickly disentangled himself from her to sit upright. She sat up, clutching the blankets to her chest as she watched him stare into the flames.

After several moments of silence, Cullen looked back at her, light from the fire illuminating his golden eyes. “Whether we are here or in the Fade will not make this any easier,” he finally said, seeing the concern in her eyes. She watched as he struggled with what he wanted to tell her.

“You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I want you to know that there isn't anything that you can't say to me,” she said, tucking her legs beneath her.

“Not even that I wanted to enact the Right of Annulment when it was all over?!” he asked bitterly, guilt etched deeply in his face. “After the Hero of Ferelden and her companions defeated Uldred, I pleaded for the mages of the tower to be purged. The evils that took place, there... what I went through...” he shook his head. “But in the end, the Warden was able to save the First Enchanter and convinced our Knight-Commander to spare the tower.”

His eyes moved back to the fire. “Every mage in that tower,” he continued, speaking as though the words tasted of ash. “I would have killed them all, guilty or innocent, without a second thought if not for the Hero of Ferelden. She said afterwards that the tensions between mages and templars would simply get worse over time if it continued to be ignored. But by the time anyone realized it was actually happening, it was already too late. Anders had blown up the Chantry in Kirkwall, everything went to hell, and you know the rest.”

Briseis watched him in silence. He had told her some of what happened in Ferelden's Circle before, but she always had a feeling there was something else that he'd withheld out of either shame or guilt. But this confession was beyond her anticipation.

“Do you think that the Hero of Ferelden made the right decision in not supporting the Right of Annulment?” she asked softly.

Cullen turned to face her directly, not surprised that she would ask the question that baldly, knowing how direct she could be. But it was a fair question, one he had struggled with for many years, especially as things unraveled in Kirkwall.

“In that moment, I did not believe she made the right choice,” he confessed. “My being angry and afraid does not excuse what I wanted to do. Thinking on it now, she was right to disagree with me, though it took me years seeing Meredith's abuses towards the mages in Kirkwall to remember that I did not become a Templar to punish the guilty.” His eyes meet hers again. “It was wrong of me and **had** we slaughtered the tower...”

“Then the weight of that choice would be much heavier than what you feel for even wanting it,” Briseis opined, still holding the blanket to herself as she moved closer to him. “You are not the first to have wanted to do something horrible.”

Cullen knew that she would know about worst impulses, having considered decisions she knew to be horrible when rendering judgment as Inquisitor. She struggled before and after she went through with the decision to execute Gregory Dedrick for drowning Old Crestwood. It had taken her days to follow through with it and though she performed the execution herself, he remembered how it tore at her then, _still_ tears at her, to have made that choice. She had even briefly considered bestowing the Rite of Tranquility on Erimond after the events at Adamant, something that had shocked him. Even as leader of the Inquisition, she never shied away from admitting that she was imperfect. He looks to her again, another thought having come to mind.

“Now, ironically, I am in love with a mage,” Cullen said, his hand hesitating before he touched her cheek, worried she would recoil from his touch and surprised when she didn't.

“Do you regret loving me?” she asked him tentatively as she looked to the ground, suddenly afraid of how he would answer.

“No, never!” he said emphatically, allowing his hand to brush along curve her cheek and bringing her face back to his. “But had you been there, it would have meant...” He looked at her, the horror evident in his face.

She shook her head. “Stop it, Cullen,” she began, “I can't absolve you of your guilt, but it's obvious that you regret how you felt back then. How you feel about it now is important in that it can help you to check your feelings in the future.”

His eyes turn back to the fire as he considered her words remembering a conversation they'd had previously when she said she liked who he was now. He looked back at her, another argument poised on his lips until she shook her head again.

“No,” she said adamantly as she grasped at his arm and buried her head in his chest. “It's not the person you are now and it hasn't been for some time. Just make sure that it's not who you are ever again.”

His argument was lost and he knew it. Cullen pulled her towards him as the sky lightened overhead, signaling dawn's imminent arrival. He had been running his hand through her dark strands when she raised her head to look up at him. Disentangling himself from her just enough, he turned to face her, his hand reaching out to cup her face, her eyes closing as she melted into his touch. The campfire burned low behind her as she snuggled closer to his warmth and he moved to lie back down, taking her with him as they lay in silence while the forest awakened around them and the morning rays began dappling through the trees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a complicated chapter to write for a number of reasons. But I can't get better without feedback.


	2. Heir of Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Briseis and Cullen reach the Temple of Mythal and a ritual is performed

They arrived to the Temple of Mythal in the early evening a few days later and set up camp outside the Temple's shadow, agreeing not to enter until morning. It was thankfully warmer in the Wilds, both shedding their thick cloaks not long after entering the forests. After setting up camp and placing wards, Cullen went to hunt nearby as Briseis took advantage of the water's moderate temperature and opted to bathe in a nearby pool. She started the fire upon returning to the camp, her eyes lingering on her satchel, hoping that they could find something within the Temple to help her use the orb safely. She opened the bag, searching for a brush when her hand lingered against the smooth velvet. Briseis could feel the temptation building as she reached for the pouch when she heard Cullen returning with some kind of bird and a few edible roots for dinner.

“You've been staring at your satchel all night,” Cullen said, stirring her from her thoughts after they'd eaten.

“I haven't touched the orb since we claimed it,” she answered, her eyes darting to him.

“Are you worried?” he asked.

“A little bit,” Briseis replied. “I'm afraid that when I hold it, we're going to yet again be thrown into some madness beyond imagination.” She turned to face him with a wry smile. “Or that I'll manage to blow us to bits that end up scattered all the way to the Frostbacks.”

Cullen gave a nervous laugh. “I doubt the bits of us would travel that far,” he replied. He stood and crossed to where the bag was sitting and withdrew the velvet pouch, bringing it back to her.

“Cullen, what are you -” she began.

“I doubt that Mythal wanted you to collect her orb simply for you to blow us up in her Temple,” he explained, sitting next to her. “You need to get acquainted with it.”

“I thought you said you wanted me to be careful?” she asked. He could see the wheels turning behind her hazel-green eyes as they darted back and forth between him and the pouch. Every possible scenario of how this could go wrong was running through her head.

“I do,” he replied, placing the pouch in her right hand. “But I also think things will go easier tomorrow if you're at least comfortable with _holding_ it.”

“Are you sure about this?” she asked as she stared at the pouch in her hand. The temptation she'd been feeling earlier had been quickly mixed with a swell of trepidation.

“No,” Cullen replied, shrugging. “But we won't know until we try.”

She sighed, but the longer she looked at the pouch, the more she knew he had a point. Either she could wield the Eye of Mythal or she couldn't. And if she was going to blow them up anyway, she may as well get on with it. Briseis carefully loosened the ties on the pouch, feeling the Anchors begin to stir as she did so. She looked over at him and took a deep breath. “Here's hoping that we don't die,” she said as she reached inside.

The purple sphere was shimmering as she remembered when she withdrew it from the pouch. Getting a closer look, she could see it pulsed with a warm energy as it sat in her hand that was different from the malevolence she'd felt when she used the orb Corypheus had. Its weight was comfortable, but it felt like she was trying to balance a small melon in her hand.

“Well, how do you feel?” he asked after a few moments.

“Relieved that we're still alive,” she answered him.

“As am I,” Cullen admitted, “but how do you feel holding it right now?”

She looked over at him. “Not as nervous,” she admitted. “Thankfully it isn't heavy, but I still wish I knew what to _do_ with it.”

“For right now, let's just focus on your getting used to holding it,” he advised.

Briseis eyed him curiously. “I take it this is the approach you used when learning how to use a sword?” she queried.

“Yes,” he said. “The templars at the chantry in my village suggested it to me. "Get used to holding it first," they said. What did you do when your magic manifested?”

“I barely remember a time when I didn't know how to use my magic,” she explained.

Cullen's eyes widened. “You were that young?”

Briseis nodded. “Mm-hmm. I think I was four when Keeper Deshanna saw me conjure snow in the middle of camp. Then one day after that, _mamae_ came to me and said that I would have to start spending time with the Keeper. My training began not long afterwards.”

“But what did your Keeper teach you first about using your magic?” he asked.

She looked back down at the sphere in her hand, watching the swirling spirals of magic within. “How to find my mana core,” she replied.

“Perhaps that's what you have to do here,” he suggested. “Find a way to tap into the wisp of Mythal, I mean,” he continued when he saw the bemused expression she wore.

“Let's wait and try that tomorrow,” she replied quickly, placing the orb back in its pouch. “We should probably discuss the Temple since you weren't with us inside.”

Cullen listened as she described the Rites of Petition that she'd performed which allowed her to gain an alliance with the Elvhen sentinels who guarded the Temple against the Red Templars. While Abelas, the sentinels' leader, had fought to keep the Well unspoiled, he had departed peacefully when he realized that there would be no stopping it. Briseis and Cullen agreed that she should complete the Rites again, in case any of the sentinels were still nearby.

The next morning, they broke down their camp and entered the Temple. It appeared to be undisturbed since their previous excursion, but traces of the fighting could still be seen on the walkway. The doors at the entrance to the main Temple remained open, evidence of Inquisition reinforcements pushing through after Briseis's escape through the eluvian. The vegetation had remained largely unchanged, but with more overgrowth of vines snaking along the stone steps. Briseis led the way to the Hall of Shrines with Cullen at her side, his hand on his sword.

“Maker's breath this is amazing,” he marveled as he stared around while she ascended the steps to begin the Rite in the south-east of the Hall.

“The People built so many amazing things in those times,” she said proudly after she'd completed the Rite.

She completed the other rituals, carefully retracing her steps as the Commander kept watch, cautious of any possible intrusion. Briseis indulged him enthusiastically when curiosity led him to ask her about some of the mosaics and statues as they made their way towards the Petitioner's Chamber. When they entered the chamber, she was not surprised, though slightly disappointed when Abelas was not waiting for them as the sentinel had been during her previous encounter. As they made their way through the secret passages towards the Well, she began to wonder if they really could learn anything about the orb within the Temple or if they were just wasting their time.

It was eerily quiet when they entered the clearing to the Well of Sorrows. “This is where we found Samson,” she told Cullen as they reached the bottom of the stairs. “He and his men were killing the remaining Sentinels when we arrived.” She stared upwards to the platform that held the Well. The Anchors had begun tingling in her left hand, with the purple seeming to react the strongest. It gave her a glimmer of hope that what they were seeking could be found here as they moved towards the steps leading up to the Well of Sorrows.

Briseis discovered that the area had been left exactly as she remembered it. The Well of Sorrows sat before them, empty after Morrigan had drunk its waters, though Briseis thought she could still hear echoes. She looked beyond the Well to see the eluvian opposite them and approached it. Reaching up to it, she could see that mirror had been repaired, likely by Morrigan while she was here. When she turned back around, she saw Cullen watching her curiously.

“Any ideas?” he asked her.

She stared between the eluvian and the Well. “Not really. The eluvian has been repaired, but the key to its use is the Well of Sorrows, which is obviously empty,” she mused.

“In your reports, you said the Well reacted as you were escaping through the eluvian, right?” he said.

She tilted her head in confirmation. “The waters rose up out of it, carrying a female figure. Whomever she was, she distracted Corypheus while we went through the mirror. According to reports from our reinforcements, by the time they'd arrived, both of them were gone and the eluvian had been shattered.”

“Could it have been a spirit?”

“Anything is possible,” she replied. “The Well contained all the knowledge of Mythal's servants, but no one ever said anything about a spirit dwelling in the waters. Though I can see why one would be attracted.”

She took a step towards the Well and her left hand instantly erupted in purple sparks as she began to feel the Veil growing thinner in the air around them. “Well that's interesting,” she said, flexing her fingers. “Really tingly, but not agonizing like before. And the Veil seems to be thinning out.”

Briseis was just taking the orb from its the velvet pouch at her hip when she saw Cullen draw his sword and move past her. She turned around to see a slender, hooded figure in gold armor approaching them from the shadows. As he raised his head, she recognized the _vallaslin_ of Mythal that covered most of his features. She quickly stepped towards Cullen, gesturing for him to lower his blade. “Wait Cullen,” she said as she stepped towards the elf and nodded her head. _“Andaran atish'an,_ Abelas. _”_

“ _Andaran atish'an_ , Inquisitor,” the sentinel replied, approaching slowly. “You have returned.”

“You knew that she would come back?” Cullen asked, sheathing his blade.

“That someone would return here was always a certainty,” Abelas told them both. “For it to be her is what was unexpected.”

She cocked her head to the side. “Did you ever even leave the Arbor Wilds?” she asked.

“I did,” he replied. “I went in search of Mythal's other holds. Those that could be found are all in ruins, pale shadows of what they once were. I expected that _uthenera_ was all that awaited me until I recently felt Mythal's magic returned to the waking world. That is when I returned here to wait.”

“What of the other sentinels?” Cullen asked.

“I have sent them deeper into the Wilds for safety,” Abelas explained. His eyes went back to the Inquisitor's and he gestured to her left hand. “Your mark is... different.”

“Yes,” Briseis replied.

He stepped towards her, studying her closely. _“You_ are different. What is it that you seek here? _Garas quenathra?_ ”

Briseis looked to Cullen, who gave a sharp nod. She reached back into the pouch and produced the brightly glowing Eye of Mythal. The sentinel's golden-yellow eyes widened as they darted between the orb and her face. She watched as understanding began to take over his features.

 _“Mana. Ma halani,_ Abelas, _”_ Briseis implored, placing the orb back into its pouch.

“ _Ma nuvenin_ ,” Abelas replied immediately.

“ _Ma serranas,_ ” she answered back as Cullen gave her a confused look. She smiled at him apologetically and turned back to Abelas. “Common tongue, if you please. Were you ever witness to Mythal using her foci?”

“More than once,” he answered her. “Mythal was not as extravagant with her magic as the other gods, though she would use her foci during ceremonial rituals and at times when her magic needed to be augmented, such as the creation of the _vir'abelasan_.”

“Mythal used the Eye to create the Well of Sorrows?” Cullen repeated. Abelas nodded in confirmation.

“Mythal deemed it important that knowledge be passed on,” the sentinel explained. “I was present at its creation; none save Mythal's most trusted servants were allowed to bear witness. We surrounded the pool that would hold the _vir'abelasan_ as Mythal descended the steps, focusing all that she was into its creation as she neared its center, and the waters flowed as she released her magic. Those first few who would pass on their knowledge then descended into its waters, immersing themselves as all they knew passed into the well before they entered into the _uthenera_.”

She stared silently into the emptied pool that was once the Well of Sorrows for several moments. “Is it possible for me to do it again? Could I reconstitute the Well?” Briseis asked when she finally spoke again. Both men stared at her in stunned silence.

“Do you even think you _should_ try to do something like that?” Cullen asked her.

“To be honest, it's the only think I can think of to do,” she said, turning to face him. “Were it not for Corypheus, the Well would have remained unspoiled. If it is possible that we can make that right, I think we should.”

“Briseis, this sounds dangerous,” he said as he began rubbing the back of his neck and turned to Abelas. “How much magic would something like that take?” Cullen asked.

“Even with a foci, very few mages in this time, if any, would be capable of such magic,” Abelas answered. “However, with the Inquisitor's increased magic along with the thinning of the Veil, she may be capable of wielding such power. It is possible.”

“Would doing that take away what Morrigan learned when she drank from it?” she asked.

“If you attempt this, it will be the first time such a thing has been done,” Abelas told her. “I cannot speak as to what the effects will be.”

Cullen turned back to her and they looked at each other for several moments. Worried golden eyes pleading with her to understand that he wants her to be careful. Determined hazel-green eyes stared back, asking him to trust her instincts. He relented hesitantly and she slowly turned back to Abelas.

“You are certain of this?” the sentinel asked her.

“I am,” Briseis replied. “However if an audience is needed, we don't have one.”

“Very well,” Abelas said before raising his hand. There was a rustling around them as several of the remaining sentinels emerged to surround them. “ _Ir abelas,_ ” he said when Cullen looked back at him, “I did not know what to expect from you when you arrived.” Cullen inclined his head in understanding, knowing that he would have done the same.

Abelas began to speak to them in Elvhen, prompting more than a few curious glances to be thrown in her direction. Briseis and Cullen watched for a few moments before he leaned in to ask, “what is he telling them?”

“He is explaining to them what must be done,” Briseis explained. “None of them seem to have been present when it happened before.”

After another moment, the sentinels began to take positions around the Well as Abelas returned to them. “At your command, Inquisitor,” he said. He turned to Cullen and seemed to realize that he was wondering if it would be appropriate for him to remain present. “You may stay, but you must not interfere.”

Cullen pressed his head to hers for a moment before moving back towards the entrance, yet again praying silently that she would not be harmed. He had just turned around when it began.

She removed the still glowing Eye of Mythal from its pouch again and slowly walked towards the Well of Sorrows. It was easy enough for her to descend the steps and stand in the center of the emptied pool. She turned slowly and he saw the he'd caught her eye. She returned his smile and took a deep breath, taking the orb into her left hand as she began.

Cullen watched her face change as though she was falling into a trance, her eyes seeming to gaze deeply into nothingness as she focused her magic. Her eyes began to close slowly as the sentinels surrounded her and dropped to their knees around the Well, leaving her obstructed from his view. They held their positions for several moments before Cullen heard the crackling of magic coming from within the circle. He searched for a position where she would be visible and once he'd found one, he saw that her eyes were opened again, consumed completely in the color of violets. The Eye of Mythal hovered inches from her hand, spinning madly as purple sparks danced around it while it pulsed in harmony with her Anchor, growing larger with every burst. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as magic expanded around them and a moment later and the pulses were the same width of the Well itself. It faltered briefly, as though it were becoming too much for her, but then the pulse became steady. Cullen could see her chest heaving from the amount of magic she was channeling.

And then it happened. She stretched her right hand forward and water began to emerge from beneath her feet. It slowly began to pool around her, filling the base of the Well and rising higher until it was just at her mid-thigh. Cullen watched as she stood in the midst of the refilled Well of Sorrows, her eyes returned to their usual hazel-green and breathing heavily from exhausting such magic.

He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding as Briseis had finally caught her breath and placed the orb back into its pouch on her hip. He moved towards her as she made to exit the Well and the sentinels rose to their feet. She was rising out of the waters when they heard a feminine voice whisper, “ _mava_.”

Briseis spun around, uncertain if she'd actually heard what she heard or if she imagined it. She turned and looked to the sentinels surrounding her, finding Abelas. Once she saw the expression on Abelas's face, she was certain she'd heard it. She stared at him, the unspoken question in her eyes and he nodded curtly. Cullen watched as she stepped back into the Well and took another deep breath. Before he could react, she had dipped her hands into the water, cupping some of it into her hands before lifting them to her lips.

The waters swirled and engulfed her that instant, rising upwards and suspending Briseis above the Well of Sorrows. As she was held captive within, the female figure Briseis described before appeared before her. They stared at each other silently for a moment before the figure extended her hand. Briseis nodded and reached out, embracing her. When the waters finally dissipated, Briseis was kneeling alone in the middle of the again-emptied Well, drenched and coughing as though she had almost drowned.

Cullen had had enough. He brushed past the sentinels surrounding her and approached her, kneeling at her side. She turned to look at him, drops of water falling from her dark waves. He stood and extended his hand, which she took as she gave him a look of complete exhaustion.

“What just happened?” he asked, turning to Abelas.

The sentinel descended the steps towards the center of the emptied Well of Sorrows. “She has taken the last of the _vir'abelasan_ , ” Abelas replied.

“And the woman that was with her?” Cullen asked as Briseis began to steady herself.

“Keeper of the most important memories held within its waters. Those of Mythal herself.”

Briseis disentangled herself from Cullen before saying, “I don't feel any different. I don't have any memories that seem unfamiliar to me.”

“Mythal had lived for thousands of years before she was murdered,” the sentinel explained. “For you to receive all of her memories at once would likely kill you. Things will begin to come to you in time. But for now, that must wait. What you have done will not have gone unnoticed.”

Before she could ask for Abelas to elaborate, Briseis felt the Veil fluctuate around them once again. A hand touched her shoulder and she turned to see a blond youth wearing a large hat.

“Cole?” Cullen said, “What are you doing here?”

“He has felt it,” Cole said. “The hunt begins. You need to go home.”

“Who is 'he,' Cole?” Briseis asked.

The boy raised his head, blue eyes piercing through her skin. “Do not let him catch your scent,” he warned.

Her eyes widened in horror. “Truly?” she asked. Cole nodded.

Cullen again looked confused. “What is he talking about?” he asked.

Briseis looked at him, her eyes filled with uncertainty and concern. “Not 'what' as much as 'who.' He's talking about the Dread Wolf.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told y'all I have an overactive imagination.
> 
> "Garas quenathra" - why are you here?  
> "Mana. Ma halani" - help me  
> "Ma nuvenin" - as you say/as you wish  
> ""Ma serranas" thank you  
> "mava" - (to) drink
> 
> Now I'm gonna go hide and play the Sims for a few days.


	3. Hunted by Wolves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Briseis and Cullen return to Skyhold and resume their duties as Inquisitor and Commander. Things get fluffy, dots get connected.

Briseis sat on the floor in front of her sofa, drinking a glass of wine and mulling over the events of the past few weeks as she waited for Cullen to join her. They had returned to Skyhold through the eluvian nearly a week ago, but not before extending an open invitation for the sentinels to join them there if they so wished. Cole was returning to the fortress as well, having offered to bring back their mounts while they went through the mirror. “Godric will follow; he likes the extra treats,” he had said when she voiced her concerns about the Swiftwind's behavior.

Leliana was waiting for them when they stepped through the eluvian, explaining that Cole had suggested that she “visit the mirror.” There was much to discuss in the War Council meeting that took place immediately upon their return. Cullen and Briseis briefed them on everything that happened in the Temple, along with Cole's warning about the Dread Wolf, which confused them all and resulted in Briseis giving her advisors a crash course in ancient Elvhen lore. Once concluded, it was time for Leliana and Josephine to brief them on the state of the Inquisition and much had happened in their absence.

Leliana had not had a chance to question the assassin again before he was found dead in his cell next to an unconscious guard the day after arriving in Skyhold. There was a note left with the body by the Antivan Crows, informing them that while there was no contract on the Inquisitor's life, there _was_ a contract for her would-be killer, though they did not disclose who hired them. Leliana was already at work trying to learn who had recently contracted with the Crows for possible leads. The note went on to say that the Crows would not be accepting contracts on the Inquisitor's life as they wanted no further unpleasantness with the Inquisition. Days later, there was a raven, this time from the House of Repose, stating that they also would not accept contracts regarding the Inquisitor for similar reasons. While Briseis was relieved that there would apparently be fewer assassins trying to kill her, she worried as to who or what could intimidate either group into refusing contracts on her life. In Cullen's absence, Rylen had since tightened security around Skyhold, furious that someone was able to infiltrate the fortress on his watch.

Then there was the Ambassador's latest information since the Inquisition's return from Orlais. Duke Germain was sending surveyors to Skyhold to discuss how to best utilize their holdings in Ylenn Basin as promised; King Alistair was also true to his word and had an envoy en route to Skyhold to finalize terms for the Inquisition's use of Caer Bronach. And while there was also an increase in support for the Inquisition after the assassination attempt, there was another unexpected and unwanted surprise.

“There are several more marriage proposals for both of you from noble houses across Thedas, despite the nature of your relationship having become public knowledge,” Josephine informed them.

Cullen rubbed at the back of his neck as Briseis rolled her eyes. She'd been getting proposals steadily since becoming Inquisitor; Cullen receiving them frequently after their first time at the Winter Palace.

“You're still burning mine, right?” she asked Josie.

“Yes, Inquisitor,” the Ambassador answered her. “The Commander's as well, as per his request. We do however keep records of those who have made them and what they have offered. However, the nobles are being much more... aggressive in their pursuits now. There is a baron who wants to come to Skyhold and challenge the Commander to a duel for your hand.”

Briseis glanced at Cullen, who seemed to be a mixture of amused and annoyed by this information, although annoyance seemed to be winning out rather quickly. “No one is dueling anyone for my hand,” the Inquisitor said flatly. “Any other concerns?”

“There is also the matter of explaining your absence and the new appearance of the Anchor,” Josephine stated. “Our official story has been that you went to an undisclosed location to recover from your injuries. While plausible on its own, we will also need to explain the change in your mark. You won't be able to hide it forever.”

Briseis looked at her left hand and thought for several moments. She didn't think it wise to say that she'd acquired another Elvhen artifact similar to the one that caused the Breach, but it wouldn't be wise to lie either.

“If anyone asks, it's a harmless side effect from an ancient Elvhen magic that keeps the Anchor stabilized,” she finally said.

“Very well,” the Ambassador said. “It is the truth, although a vague version of it, so it should go over easily. Anything else Leliana?”

“Divine Victoria has sent a message expressing her relief that you've recovered,” Leliana said to the Inquisitor. “And that she would be writing to you soon.” Briseis shifted her weight slightly and shot a brief glance at her Spymaster, hoping that Leliana would understand that she had not yet told Cullen about Cassandra's offer to become Right Hand. Leliana narrowed her eyes a bit, seeming to get the message conveyed.

Briseis had intended to speak to Cullen about it that night, but they were left with little time for more than the occasional stolen moment over the next several days while they returned to their duties as Inquisitor and Commander. If she had free time, he was in meetings with Rylen and his officers, reviewing reports from the field. If he were available, she was meeting with visiting emissaries from one place or another across Thedas. Tonight was the first time since they'd returned that she felt as though she were back in her normal rhythm, but earlier that day, Leliana came to see her with a letter from the Divine.

The Inquisitor carefully broke the seal and Leliana watched carefully as her hazel-green eyes roamed across the parchment, taking in every word. Briseis's eyes widened towards the end of the brief, straight to the point letter written in Cassandra's own hand. “This is a formal request for me to become Right Hand of the Divine?” she asked the Nightingale.

“Then Divine Victoria has made her decision,” Leliana replied evenly. “What will you do?”

Briseis looked up and shrugged. Cassandra's offer had taken a back seat after everything that happened at the Winter Palace. She'd not had a chance to even consider the offer or the ramifications of her acceptance.

“I really don't know,” she answered. “I need time to think.”

And so now she sat in her quarters after reading the letter at least fifteen times. The letter now sat on the table in front of her, but with every reading, more questions arose for her. At the forefront was how much she would have to disclose about the Eye of Mythal. She glanced to her desk where the orb sat in its velvet pouch. She and her advisors had agreed that it would remain in the vault when not in the Inquisitor's possession and that Dagna would be allowed to examine it. The Arcanist was excited to hear about her new assignment and that she had been granted a secure space in one of the towers for her research. But while everyone had thought Harritt would be happy to have the Undercroft to himself for a time, it seemed that he was a bit more surly without the dwarf to keep him company.

There were also other, more personal concerns for Briseis regarding the Divine's offer, but none could be assuaged by anyone other than the Divine herself. A much longer conversation than what was had at the Winter Palace or in letters would have to take place before Briseis could make her decision. She would write back to the Divine soon, likely with an invitation to Skyhold before deciding, but first...

The stars were just starting to appear in the sky when Cullen finally walked through the door to her chambers. “Aside from that business with the assassin, Rylen did well handling things while we were away,” he told her, “and although he's grown fond of being at Skyhold, he seems very anxious to get back to the Western Approach. It's almost like he _enjoys_ being out there.”

“I can't say that I blame him,” Briseis admitted. “Things are simpler out there.” She gave a huff of laughter in spite of herself. “Ameridan was right when he said that hunting demons is less complicated than politics. Maybe we should go with Rylen.”

Cullen chuckled as he sat next to her and took her in his arms. “Don't tempt me,” he said, pressing his lips to the top of her head. “But I'm glad we're back to our normal workload. I feel like I haven't seen you in months.” He looked down at her, realizing that something was on her mind. “What is it?” he asked.

Briseis gazed up at him. “Just that this year is off to an interesting start,” she begins. She gestured to the table in front of them. “The letter on the table is from Divine Victoria. It's why she wanted to talk with me at the ball. I wanted to talk to you about this sooner, it's just that everything has been happening so fast, I never got a chance to bring it up. But have a read.”

Cullen reached for the letter and read it twice before he whistled loudly. “Okay,” he said hesitantly. “How do you feel about this?”

Briseis broke away to stand up and stepped onto the balcony with him following her. “Honestly, I'm not sure, there's a lot to consider” she admitted while fidgeting with the coin around her neck. “Cassandra also warned me that there were those who are afraid that our ambitions will turn to conquering Thedas now that Corypheus is gone.”

“That's ridiculous,” Cullen scoffed.

“I know that and so does Cassandra,” she answered. “The current line of thinking is that my being Right Hand could help make that problem go away since it puts the Inquisition under her control, at least on paper. It's my being Dalish and a mage that would cause controversy. And while I'm the Herald of Andraste, I'm still pretty much a heathen in the eyes of the Chantry since I don't follow the Chant of Light. And now that I have the Eye of Mythal, which I admittedly have yet to fully understand, so it's become all a bit overwhelming.” She leaned on the railing. “If I _were_ to accept, how much would I need to tell them? And would Cassandra really let me continue to stay here and run the Inquisition as I have?”

“Well traditionally as Right Hand, you'd only be under the scrutiny of the Divine and the Seekers,” he replied, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her back so she was flush against him. “And you know that Cassandra trusts your judgment. You would likely be able to operate freely while she's in charge, but it seems that the two of you have a lot to work out. Best make sure that clear lines are drawn before you make a decision.”

She nodded as she turned to face him. “I agree, of course,” said Briseis. “There is another thing we should talk about. Something a bit more personal...” she said, looking to the mountains apprehensively. She wasn't sure how to breach the next subject and how he would respond.

He tilted her face towards his, brow furrowed with concern. “What's wrong?” he asked her. “Has something else happened?”

She shook her head. “N-no. Nothing has happened,” she answered. She turned to face him and took a deep breath, realizing that there was no other way of knowing except to ask him outright. “It's just that it's no longer a secret within Skyhold, or even Thedas for that matter, that you and I are lovers and since you're here most nights anyway, I was wondering if you would want to just move in here with me? I wasn't sure if you were ready for that or even if that was something you'd thought about. I understand if you think it's too soon and don't want to, but if you did...”

He was kissing her before she could finish her sentence.

“So that's a yes?” Briseis asked. He nodded as he picked her up by the waist and spun her around. He placed her back down gently and took her by the hand, guiding her back into their quarters. “Good,” she said. “I like the idea of having you close to me.”

“Well I like the idea of being close to you,” Cullen replied. His expression turned serious. “Besides, I can protect you better from here. The Crows and House of Repose may be refusing contracts on your life, but if this Dread Wolf is truly hunting you as Cole said, I don't think he's going to stop, even if you've started setting wards.”

Briseis looked at him. “I expect not, but we're on our guard now,” she said. “In the meantime, I should put more effort into mastering my use of the Eye. I have a feeling we'll need it before this is all said and done.”

“Have you tried using the Eye since we've been back?” he asked her.

“Only in this room. I didn't want to risk anyone else getting hurt if something went wrong. I was hoping that it would help to unlock some of Mythal's memories, but it feels... off when I try to use it,” she answered him.

Cullen frowned at her. “What do you mean? 'Feels off?'” he asked. “What happens?”

She fidgeted slightly. “It feels, I don't know... fuzzy? Like there's some kind of interference,” she replied. “I'll talk to Dagna about it tomorrow. She may find something we're missing.”

“You seem to be able to keep up with her better than everyone else,” he told her. “Whatever she did to the roof in my office worked, but she lost me about four sentences into her explanation.” Briseis laughed, but it was interrupted by the sound of her stomach growling.

“Sorry,” Briseis said sheepishly. “I haven't eaten since lunch, so I was thinking about heading to the Herald's Rest for some of those Wyvern wings that Cabot makes. Getting that recipe from the tavern in Crestwood was a real boon for him and he makes them really spicy for me. And it's a chance to spend some time with Iron Bull and Sera.” She looked up at him. “Do you want to come with me?”

“I think I will,” Cullen replied. “We can put the orb back into the vault on the way back to,” he coughed, _“our_ chambers _.”_

She gave a crooked half-smile. “I really like the sound of that,” she said, raising to her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek. “Let's go,” she said.

Briseis went through two orders of Wyvern wings before she finally settled on the roof with Sera, eating cookies as they watched Cullen and Iron Bull having a friendly spar below them. The blonde elf look at Briseis. “You're _soooooo_ much happier with your Cully-wully,” she teased. But then her expression turned serious. “More than you ever seemed to be with old Droopy Ears. Did you wrong, he did. But I'm glad that Cullen has made you happy again, Quizzie.”

Briseis stared down as he continued to spar with Iron Bull. The Tal-Vashoth had just tried to shield bash Cullen before the commander dodged at the last second. “He does,” she mused. “But sometimes I can't help worrying that the other shoe will drop. It happened with Solas. We were happy, or so I thought, and then he ripped it all apart.”

“Solas was an arsebiscuit,” Sera declared angrily. “I'd had a mind to ruin those paintings he did, but I don't because they're about you and I know you like them, even though they're so _elfy_. But I'll fill him with arrows if he ever comes back.”

“Fair enough,” Briseis giggled, wrapping her arms around her friend. She promised the impish blonde that they would throw pies at the Nevarran ambassador when he came next week before she stood up and climbed back inside the window, heading back into the tavern. She descended the stairs and left Cabot a hefty tip, but not before glancing up to where Cole was usually peeking over the railing. She hoped he'd return soon and that Godric wouldn't be upset with her for leaving him in the Wilds.

She stepped outside just in time to see Cullen get staggered by an attack from Iron Bull. “You headed back in, then?” the Commander asked as he shook off the blow.

“I'm going to stop by the vault first,” she said, gesturing to the pouch on her hip. “By all means, keep sparring. Just know that if either of you should get banged up _too_ much, Dorian and I will kick your asses after we've finished healing you.”

“Don't worry, Boss,” said Iron Bull, raising his shield as she walked past him. “I won't beat him too badly.” Cullen grinned as he positioned himself to feint to Bull's left side for an attack.

She headed up the steps into the great hall and glanced at the door to her right that led to the atrium. Against her better judgment, she headed through the door, nearly expecting to see Solas awaiting inside. But it was empty, save the frescoes he'd painted for her.

Solas told her once that he had painted them to tell her story as Inquisitor. Staring around the room, she still couldn't believe that she had influenced so much around Thedas. Solas had once admitted to her that he saw a subtle wisdom in the decisions she'd made, it had been part of what attracted him to her. She had no idea how long she'd been staring at the paintings, but she finally turned her attention to the last part of the mural. While it had been started, it was incomplete. Briseis moved closer and as she neared it, saw that the sketch depicted what looked to be a dragon being slain... by a wolf.

 _Again with the wolves,_ she thought. Wolves were featured in a couple of the other frescoes as well. Wolves had been haunting her dreams as of late. Wolves howled as she lost consciousness at the ball and when she came to. They howled through the night as she wandered the Fade. She thought of Cole's warning that the Dread Wolf was hunting her and then recalled that Solas usually wore a wolf's jawbone around his neck. It was starting to appear that Solas was somehow connected to everything. She was moving closer, reaching up to touch the sketch when she heard a voice behind her.

“Briseis?” the voice called. She blinked and lowered her hand, turning to see Cullen standing at the door behind her. His shirt was sweaty from sparring as his golden eyes watched her with concern. “What are you doing in here?” he asked, walking towards her.

She sighed. “Just looking around. Sera had mentioned that she'd thought about ruining the paintings Solas had done, but changed her mind for my sake,” she explained as she approached him. “It's just been a while since I actually looked at them.”

Cullen looked around the room. “You know, I've never really looked at these,” he admitted. “I didn't come in here or speak with Solas that often. Every choice you made in the fight against Corypheus, it's recorded here.” He looked at her. “I never asked you how he felt about the decisions you made.”

“He approved of most of my choices, though he wasn't overly fond of my choosing not to banish the Grey Wardens after Adamant. We actually had quite a lengthy argument about it,” she replied. She took his hand, pulling him with her as she walked towards the final sketch. “But the mural is incomplete. While the final sketch is done, he never actually painted it. Take a look at it.”

Cullen stood next to her and glanced up. “Another wolf,” he muttered. He turned to her. “You're thinking this is connected?”

“It looks that way the more I think about it,” she replied. “In both the waking world and the Fade, I'm being hunted by wolves.”

“And your mask at the ball depicted a dragon,” Cullen said, studying her face. “Do you think he's working for this Dread Wolf? That he may have tried to kill you?” he asked her.

She shrugged. “I honestly don't know, but it's not impossible,” Briseis answered him.

Cullen frowned in thought. “We'll speak to Leliana about this in the morning” he said. “We'll find the connection if it's there, although we shouldn't spread ourselves too thinly. We should probably keep tracking the remaining foci as the priority. If they're tied to this as well, we may get the answers we want that way.”

She tilted her head in agreement. “True, but depending on how many of them there actually are, the search could take a while.”

“The likely number is seven, my darling,” called another voice. Briseis and Cullen looked to the staircase next to them and saw Dorian traipsing down the steps, obviously on his way to meet Iron Bull. “Yours is called the Eye of Mythal, and you said that they channel the power of the gods, it makes sense that the total number of foci would have been nine for each of the Elvhen gods.” He stopped next to Cullen in front of the sketch. “Since one was destroyed when Corypheus was defeated and now you have the Eye, that would leave seven that need to be found.”

“And we have no clue where to even begin searching,” Briseis muttered.

“Something will turn up eventually,” Dorian said reassuringly as he sauntered towards the great hall. “It always does for you.”

Briseis stared around the room for another moment before she looked up at Cullen. “I don't want to linger in here anymore,” she said. “Let's just get out of here.”

Cullen watched Briseis quietly as they walked back to their quarters, where he locked their door and waited. It wasn't until she was sitting on the sofa, pulling off her boots, that he finally addressed her. “Talk to me,” he pleaded.

She looked up at him and sighed. “It's one thing to know that you have enemies, it's quite another when one of them could be someone you once cared deeply for and you have no idea why it's happening,” she admitted. “Regardless, I can't and will not let my personal feelings get in the way of what must be done. Whatever Solas is caught up in can't be good and we have to put a stop to it.”

Cullen moved to kneel in front of her and took her hands. “You don't have to be 'the Inquisitor' right now, Briseis” he said. “Not in here and not with me. It's okay for you to talk about this, if that is what you want.”

Briseis looked up to see the concern in his eyes. “Are you sure you know what you're asking?” she asked him quietly.

“I know what I'm asking,” he answered. “I also know that you loved him, so there's no need for either of us to run from that. Whatever you need to get out, I'm willing to listen. There are no secrets between us.”

She closed her eyes. “I did love him and part of me still cares about him as a person. Even after he broke my heart, even after he _abandoned_ me. Did you know that he was reluctant to begin a relationship with me in the first place?”

Briseis continued, keeping her eyes shut to stave off her tears. “He said that it would have been kinder in the long run not to pursue anything, but despite that, he said that he loved me. And then when we came back from the Arbor Wilds, he took me to Crestwood and broke my heart without telling me why after he had removed my _vallaslin_. He just told me to redirect my pain towards Corypheus. And then afterwards, he just disappears. _**All**_ of that, I can take, but I never thought that I may have to go up against him. It would just be easier for me if I knew _why_ this was happening.”

Cullen took a deep breath, stood up, pulling her with him, and took her in his arms as she buried her face in his chest. “But _**all**_ of this is why I love you,” he said. She stared up at him, a bemused expression on her face. He shook his head. “Your heart. It's why you go out of your way for your friends like you did for me during my withdrawals and for Vivienne when she tried to save Bastien. It's why you threw away the Qunari alliance to save Bull's Chargers. You knew that the Chargers meant more to Iron Bull. It's why you play pranks around Skyhold with Sera and helped Dorian with his father and with Mother Giselle. Why you made all the choices you've made as Inquisitor. You have such compassion for others, even when others think they may not deserve it. You had it for Alexius, Thom, Samson and everyone you've ever had to judge, and now with someone who broke your heart.” He caressed her cheek. “You're just a good person and you always try to understand others.”

“But I can't understand _**any**_ of this,” she replied with a heavy sigh as she yet again buried her face in his chest. “The only thing I can do is hope we get answers along the way.”

“Then focus on that,” Cullen said to her, holding her tighter. “Focus on what you _can_ do. What you _can_ understand. The foci are the main objective, even if we don't know why right now. If we can get to them, you may find out everything you want to know.”

Briseis stepped back and studied him as he looked at her questioningly. “Did I say something wrong?” he asked.

“No, Cullen,” she said, taking his face in her hands. “You just sat through me voicing my complicated feelings about my ex-lover without flinching and then said it was part of why you love me. I just don't understand how you didn't walk out that door right in the middle of it.”

He smiled as he brought his face closer to hers as he slid his hands around her hips. “I promised you that I would never leave you if you chose to have me. How many times do I have to say it, Briseis?” he asked. “I'm not going anywhere.”

She sighed. “Do you _have_ to be so bloody perfect?” she asked as she went behind her privacy screen to change into her nightgown.

She is in the Crossroads, her hand pressing gently against the eluvian, feeling the ripples of magic as they flow across the mirror. She has been waiting patiently over the course of millennia for this moment and it has come at last. Flemeth glances up at the frame of the eluvian; the wolf and the dragon, together again for the last time.

It breaks her heart that it has come to this. “ _I knew you would come,_ ” she says turning around slowly.

 _“You should not have given your orb to Corypheus, Dread Wolf,”_ she says to the shadowy figure that is approaching from behind her.

His voice, familiar though unrecognizable, is anguished as he replies. _“I was too weak to unlock it after my slumber,”_ he explains. Flemeth nods, understanding evident in her every movement. She knows what he intends to do.

“ _The failure was mine_ ,” the Dread Wolf says, his voice breaking as he forms the words. _“I should pay the price. But the People, they need me.”_

Her hand raises to cover his cheek as he speaks his next words. _“I am so sorry,”_ he finally says, bowing his head.

 _“I am sorry as well, old friend,”_ Flemeth replies, empathy coating her words. She will yield, but he does not know that Mythal has planned for this.

The Dread Wolf looks up at Flemeth and the Veil shifts around them as he begins to draw the magic from her. Flemeth's body lurches forward and he cradles her in her arms as he continues to absorb the magic contained within her. Her golden-yellow eyes blacken, as does the rest of her body while he lowers it to the ground reverently. When he looks up again, there are silver-white wisps glowing in his eyes. He hesitates when he finally stands up again, turning back to stare at the eluvian. The wolves begin to howl loudly in the distance as he moves away from Flemeth's corpse, stalks toward the mirror and steps through.

Briseis emerges from the shadows once he is gone and approaches what remains of Flemeth's body, saddened, angered and frightened by what she's just witnessed. As she nears the husk that was once the powerful Witch of the Wilds, she wonders how much power was taken by the Dread Wolf. While Flemeth carried the wisp of Mythal, she'd also recently taken the soul of Urthemiel from her grandson. The idea of the Trickster now having the soul of an Old God was the most unsettling thing so far.. She knows that even with Mythal's power, even with her Anchor, she won't be able to stand against him. Not alone.

 _“You will never stand alone,”_ came a whisper from across the Fade. _“They wait for you. The Eye will see through the living tree.”_

Her eyes opened back inside their bedroom. Cullen was fast asleep next to her, his fingers lost in strands of her hair, her left hand sprawled across his waist, leg draped across his thigh. She could see the purple shimmer pulsing as her hand tingled. Briseis rolled away from him, slowly as to not disturb him, glancing to the pouch sitting next to the bed.

 _The Eye will see through the living tree_.

The idea of listening to a random voice in the Fade has never been wise, but for some reason, she felt the need to go on a little faith. Briseis crept from the bed, grabbing the pouch as she went. She righted her nightgown before struggling to throw on her robe as she tiptoed towards the door, unlocking and closing it behind her as quietly as she could.

Briseis hurried into the great hall, knowing exactly where she needed to go, but unsure as to how she knew. She turned right towards Josephine's office, hurrying past the Ambassador's desk. She lurched open the door at the end of the corridor and approached the War Table.

Her left hand was itching to hold the Eye as she pulled at the strings keeping it enclosed its velvet pouch. She didn't understand why she thought this was the right thing to do, she just _knew_.


	4. Centered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cullen has a nightmare and the Inquisition gets a lead on the other foci.

They stand in the remains of Skyhold's great hall; their friends all bound on either side of the room, eyes gleaming with defiance even in defeat. The rest of the fortress now stands in ruins, the result of a siege and battle that lasted for what felt like years. The Inquisitor stands before the throne that was once hers, unarmed and wearing only a tattered tunic and trousers. She is shackled, her hands bound in front of her, bloody and weary from constant fighting. But the fire in her eyes refuses to die.

Cullen tries to reach her, but those holding him will not yield. He struggles against their grip, but it only tightens as he fights them. There is movement in the corner of his eye and he turns back to the throne. A shadowed figure rises from the chair.

He can only watch as the figure descends the steps, moving closer to her. Briseis tries to lunge at the figure, but they simply flick their wrist and she is immobilized as they close the distance between them. Cullen knows what will come next and he begins to struggle harder against those restraining him. The figure gestures to another person nearby and nods.

A woman approaches the Commander, holding a wooden box in her hands. His fear and anger grow, knowing what lies within. It's his box after all. He'd only kept it to test the chains, as Cole so eloquently put it. Cullen has not felt lyrium course through his body in over a year, though he felt the temptation every now and then.

Briseis is screaming at the woman, threatening and cursing her wildly as the shadowed figure laughs. She fights against the magic holding her and tries to immolate the woman, but her dress barely catches fire before the figure has nullified Briseis's magic and struck her across the face. They yank at her chains, turning her towards Cullen and thrusting her forward so that she can bear witness. The others struggle against their bindings, desperate to stop this, but the figure waves an arm, paralyzing all of them.

Cullen glares at him as the woman tears the left sleeve of his tunic, holding the syringe of bright blue liquid at the ready. She glances over to the figure who nods. He sees the gleam of silver as the figure withdraws a knife from his robes. Cullen looks to Briseis and her lips, bloody from just being struck, form the words he already knows as the knife plunges to the hilt into her heart. Whether it is he or their friends that scream, he cannot be certain as he feels the stinging of the needle in his arm. Blood begins to pour from her mouth as she falls, the fire in her eyes dying as she lands on the floor.

Cullen was pouring sweat when his eyes opened. His nightmares have been much less frequent over the last year, but this one is new. He glanced down at his arm to make certain there are no marks. Once satisfied, he took a moment to collect himself and take in his surroundings, and turned to find that Briseis was gone from their bed. He was prepared to think she's gone to the kitchen for sweets, but then he realized that the Eye of Mythal is also missing. They'd forgotten to take it to the vault after exiting Solas's rotunda last night.

He stood from the bed and threw on the nearest shirt he could find and headed towards their door when he heard the door to the great hall opening. He was starting to assume that she was going to take the Eye back to the vault, but as he entered the hall, he caught a glimpse of her, but she was moving towards Josephine's office. He gave pursuit once she disappeared from view and began to hear the crackling of magic as he entered the corridor and rushed for the door.

He had just pulled it open as Briseis was being staggered backwards from where she had been standing. Cullen rushed forward to catch her just as she was teetering backwards. He could see the purple wisps receding as her eyes returned to their normal hazel-green. She glanced up at him. “What are you doing here?” she asked. “I thought you were asleep?”

Cullen's brow furrowed. “I'd woken up and saw that you were gone,” he replied. He didn't want to bring up the nightmare, at least not now. “First I thought you were sneaking off to the kitchen until I realized you'd taken the Eye as well and I figured something was up, so I followed you. I came in just as you went staggering backwards.” He let go of her once she'd steadied herself. "Do you want to tell me what happened?”

Briseis looked to him with an intense stare. “We need to talk, but not here.” She picked up the Eye and placed it back in its pouch.

Cullen followed her as they quietly crossed through the great hall, back to their quarters. She locked the door and pulled him into the bedroom behind her just as they saw the sun beginning to peek over the Frostbacks. She flicked her wrist once, testing the integrity of her wards before she spoke.

She took a deep breath. “First things first: the Dread Wolf murdered Flemeth,” she began. He just stared at her blankly for a moment as her words registered in his mind.

“You are certain of this?” he asked.

“I saw it while I was dreaming,” Briseis replied before recounting the exchange between Flemeth and the Dread Wolf. “Remember how Morrigan said that when she found her mother's remains, the body had been sapped of its power? The Dread Wolf took something from Flemeth when he killed her. There were silver-white wisps in his eyes after he killed her. Flemeth didn't just carry Mythal's wisp; she also possessed the soul of an Old God she'd taken from Kieran. If that's what he took from her, we may _wish_ we were fighting Corypheus again, and that's even before we know what he's really up to.”

“Were you able to see his face?” Cullen asked hopefully. Everything else she'd said thus far was downright disturbing; he hoped she had some good news in all this.

“Unfortunately, no. He was cloaked in shadow.” Cullen raised his eyebrows at this. “But then I heard a voice across the Fade telling me that “they were waiting for me,” whoever _they_ are,” she continued.

“A voice from across the Fade?” he repeated slowly.

“I know,” she said. “But then it also said to that the Eye would see through the living tree.”

“That's why you went to the War Table?” Cullen asked. “You said it was made from a living tree, right?”

“Yes,” she answered, surprised that he remembered her telling him such. “You walked in as I tried using the Eye of Mythal,” she went on. “And I think I might have been getting somewhere before I got blasted backwards, but I wasn't entirely focused at the time.”

“If what you say is true,” Cullen began, “how do we proceed?”

“We need to secure the remaining foci, as you suggested,” she said. “Their collective magic could do any number of things. And I need to go back to the War Table and try again.” She glanced down at the pouch in her hand. “Then we figure out what to do with the information we find and I need to contact Morrigan. She'll want to know about her mother,” she sighed.

“Do you think we should wake the others?” he asked. She shook her head.

“Not until we have a good reason. Let's just see what we find first.”

As they entered the War Room, Briseis considered the reaction to her use of the Eye of Mythal at the table. She took slow, measured steps towards it, questioning why her magic had been rejected during her first attempt. If the Eye needed to be used at the war table, what had gone wrong?

She allowed her thoughts to flow as she ran her hands along the polished wood for several moments. Heat rose to her face and she felt a slight bit of guilt that the thought she finally had did not occur to her earlier. As a Keeper's First, this should have been something she realized a lot sooner. Nature was an intrinsic part of magic and a living tree was the embodiment of such magic. She had gone about this entirely the wrong way because she had rushed in without thinking about what would be required.

Cullen heard her begin to murmur in Elvhen for a moment before she took the Eye from its pouch and held it in her left hand, stretched out towards the War Table before it reacted to the map. He approached to see small wisps in different colors began appearing to flicker around the map. There were green and purple wisps set over Skyhold and then black, crimson, silver, white, gold, blue, and marigold that began to scatter across Thedas.

“ _Now_ we should wake the others,” she said to him as she withdrew the Eye. “You take Leliana and Josephine. I'll go brave the ordeal that is waking Dorian and we'll meet back here.”

An hour later and no one looked pleased with the Inquisitor at the idea of being awakened at such an early hour as they convened in the War Room, though they were grateful that Cullen was good enough to also request coffee be brought at once. It wasn't until after Lydia left the room and the door was heard closing at the end of the hall that Briseis warded off the room and briefed them all on the recent developments.

Dorian approached the again activated map once she'd finished her explanation. “One of these seems to be implying Tevinter,” he said. “Not surprising given how much of Tevinter's knowledge of magic is originally Elvhen. It's likely that some puffed-up magister has it, but doesn't really know what it does other than increasing their magic. But as it is, my father has requested that I return to Minrathous for a short visit. I can look into it while I'm there.”

All eyes had turned to Briseis before she could school her reaction to hearing that her best friend would have to leave. He gave her a reassuring look. “Don't worry, I won't be gone long.”

“What about Iron Bull?” she asked him.

Dorian shifted again. “Bull and the Chargers will be accompanying me to watch my back,” he replied.

Briseis's fingers ran through her dark hair. It was clear she wasn't pleased with the idea of Dorian and Bull leaving, even if only briefly. And Varric still had yet to return from Kirkwall. Her reaction wasn't entirely different from when Dorian and the Chargers left to take on Venatori in the Hissing Wastes last year, but she seemed a bit more apprehensive about this journey. She sighed as she said, “do what you must and come back. I need you to help keep me sane.”

“A duty I take quite seriously, my dear,” Dorian replied. “Arrangements are already being made, but we won't depart for a few days. And we'll be back before you know it.”

“You better be,” she replied.

“But what of the foci?” Josephine asked. “We won't be able to keep what we're doing quiet for very long. We'll need to find a way to keep this from drawing ill-desired attention.”

“Fortunately we have operations in most of the areas where they seem to be located, so that can be used as a means to explain our visits.” Briseis glanced down at the map and where all the wisps were positioned, watching how they behaved. “The wisps over Skyhold are obviously mine, but look at the others. The only other ones that seem to be active are the ones in Tevinter and this other one... hmm. It looks like it's in the Hissing Wastes.”

“Then we should go after those first,” Cullen said.

Dorian looked at her apprehensively. “Okay, but what happens if I actually find it and I'm able to claim it? You can't seriously believe that whomever has it will part with it _willingly_.”

“Something tells me they won't be left with much choice,” she replied as she drew back the Eye and stored it away. He gave her an odd look and it was all Briseis could do not to laugh. “Stop. I don't expect you to kill whomever has it,” she continued. “Just that I don't think it will be of much use to anyone else if you are able to claim it.”

“What makes you say that?” Josephine asked

“I've been wondering about this since I claimed the Eye at the Winter Palace,” she replied, looking at the familiar green flicker in her left hand. “After I acquired the first Anchor by accident, the orb wasn't much use to Corypheus. Sure he was able to use it to some degree considering how powerful he was, but even then he couldn't realize its full potential. It's different when you have both.”

“What do you feel when you're using them together?” Leliana asked, surprising everyone with her curiosity.

Briseis instinctively flexed the fingers of her left hand. “I feel connected to everything. I can feel even the smallest amount of magic on my skin. Everything and everyone around me is much more luminous. It feels amazing and yet it is the most terrifying thing to me. It would be easy for someone who is undisciplined to become drunk on this kind of power.”

“Luckily drunk on power isn't my thing,” Dorian said. “I should take my leave. There are additional arrangements to be made before my departure.” He finished his coffee and made his way out of the room.

Once Dorian was gone, Cullen spoke up. “It looks like we need to plan a trip to the Hissing Wastes,” he said. “Who will you be taking?”

“Thom and Sera for sure,” she replied. “Vivienne _hates_ the Wastes and she never has gotten along with either of those two, so it's best she remain here. But that leaves me short one person.”

“Then I'll accompany you,” the Commander said.

Briseis turned to face him. “You want to go out into the field with us?” she asked.

“Why not?” he replied. “It's been a while since I've been in the field.”

“That's because you're the Commander of our armies, “ Leliana stated. “You can't just drop that any time you want to go out into the field with the Inquisitor.”

“I'm aware of that,” He replied, his voice edgy. “However this is not a time to be short-handed in the field. I will speak with Rylen today. If he is willing to remain in Skyhold a little longer, then I will- ”

“He must go,” They heard being said behind them as Cole stepped forward. “Godric is very tired,” he continued, assuaging the Inquisitor's concerns, “but he wanted to come home fast. He knows that you've missed him.” He tilted his head towards Cullen. “Phobos will be ready as well,” he continued. “They know you will need them soon.”

“I'm glad you're all back safely, Cole,” Briseis replied. “But why does Cullen **have** to go with me? And how did you get past my wards?”

“You let me through because you trust me,” he replied. “I'm glad that you trust me.” Cole's eyes then light up and he smiles fondly as though remembering something. “He has to go because they promised that they would be together again.” He then looks to Cullen, his blue eyes piercing through the Commander. “But the question must have an answer.”

Everyone turns to look at Cullen, who turns to the Inquisitor. “What question?” she asked.

He stared at her blankly and shrugged. “I honestly have no idea what he's talking about,” he answered.

They all turn to find that the boy is gone again. Giving a deep sigh, the Inquisitor looked to her Ambassador and Spymaster. “Is there anything else we need to talk about?” she asked.

Leliana spoke up again. “We are going through all accounts of guards and staff that were present in the Winter Palace during the assassination attempt,” she said. “We have received everything from Ferelden and just recently the Free Marches. Accounts from the Orlesians should be arriving soon.”

“What about this Dread Wolf we have suddenly been hearing so much about?” Josephine asked. “Is it likely that he sent the assassins?”

“But why would he bother with assassins at all if he was powerful enough to murder Flemeth?” Briseis asked.

“He could be trying to remove you without drawing attention to himself,” Leliana replied. “It's not entirely different from when Corypheus wanted to have Celene assassinated. This is one possibility, but we should not speculate until we've reviewed everything.” She paused for a moment and glanced at the Inquisitor. “Have you given any additional thought to the Divine's offer?”

“There are a number of things that need to be considered before I can make a decision,” she replied.

“Perhaps we should invite Her Holiness to Skyhold?” Josephine suggested.

Briseis nodded. “I think we should, but let's wait to extend that invitation until I've returned from the Wastes. I know that we can't drag this out, but the orbs take precedence. And this will give me time to think.”

“As you wish, Inquisitor,” Josie replied. Cullen and Leliana stared at each other through narrowed eyes for a moment before the two women left.

Briseis sighed as she looked back at the War Table. “This has been quite a morning,”

“Yes it has,” Cullen agreed. He moved closer and turned her face to his. “But that's not what's bothering you, is it?”

“No,” she confessed, looking up at him with a knowing stare. "I know there's another reason you want to come with us to the Wastes, but I won't press the matter. At least not yet.”

Cullen turned her so that she was facing him completely. He was all but certain that she knew why he'd really woken up. “Just trust me like I trusted you when you said you'd tell me everything after you claimed the Eye,” he said quietly as he fingered the braided silverite of her necklace.

She looked up at him. “Cullen, it's not that...” she began, but he closed his mouth emphatically over hers. “I'll tell you soon, I promise” he said as he pulled back and turned serious. “For now we have work to do, Lady Inquisitor, but first may I suggest we have breakfast and actually get dressed?”


	5. Departure Dates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A pair of besties have a chat before they leave Skyhold. And there's another date night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some NSFW stuff after the chess game, so...

“I should arrive in Minrathous within a fortnight,” Dorian told her a few days later. “We're taking a ship that will land in Kirkwall, so I can deliver a message to Hawke or Varric while we're there. Iron Bull and the Chargers will be just outside of the city since Minrathous is not a safe place for Qunari, even one such as Bull. But I will be in constant contact with them.”

Briseis was still upset that he was leaving for Tevinter the next day. “I know it won't be long, but I hate that you're leaving,” she said, leaning against him. “What _will_ I do without you?”

Dorian clapped a hand on her shoulder. They had been sitting on their favorite bench in the gardens for the last hour enjoying the late afternoon sun. “It won't be as bad as you think. Plus, you're leaving for the Hissing Wastes tomorrow and I do not envy you having to go out there.”

He pulled a small crystal from his pocket. “But we'll also have these. It's a sending crystal. I'll be able to stay in contact with you the entire time I'm gone. And I'll contact you when I've arrived and keep you informed of any progress I make.”

She glanced at her fellow mage. “Have you told Iron Bull anything about this?” she asked him taking the crystal in her hand.

Dorian frowned. “No, but I don't have to. He was Ben-Hassrath under the Qun after all,” he said. “Bull knows something's up, but I think he also trusts that I'll tell him at the right time. Still, I don't like keeping him in the dark like this.”

Briseis nodded in empathy. “I don't like keeping anyone in the dark about what we're doing,” she confessed. “But it's better to keep this quiet for now. We need to know what we're dealing with first.”

“You know that I understand,” Dorian replied. “Are you sure you can't tell me what to expect if and when I find it?”

“I had a conversation with Flemeth in the Fade when I was given the Eye,” she said. “But I honestly don't know if it's different for each orb or what you may face before you're allowed to take its power. Just be careful, and let them know that the Inquisition will absolutely march on Tevinter if someone so much as sneezes wrong in your vicinity,” she declared. “I will not lose my beloved Dorian to some puffed-up magister.”

Tears brimmed in his eyes as Dorian gave her a tight squeeze before he stood up. “I love you too, my sweet Inquisitor,” he replied. “But I should return to my quarters and finish packing what I need. Oh, could you stop by the Herald's Rest to check on Bull for me? I think he and the Chargers are trying to make certain that we won't even remember the journey to Minrathous.”

Briseis lingered in the garden for a few moments after Dorian took his leave, breathing in the cold, crisp air around her as dusk began to settle over Skyhold. Her eyes wandered to the gazebo, making her smile as she thought of a game of chess played during a stolen moment with Cullen. While they would be departing Skyhold tomorrow for what could likely be several weeks, she had hoped to do something special on their last night, but was disappointed when he told her that he would not be returning to their quarters until late.

And she couldn't stop worrying. He finally told her about the nightmare he'd been having after it woke him a couple of nights past. Even she had to admit being disconcerted when he described the details. Though she knew that all she could do was give him the space he needed and be there for him when necessary, she desperately wished that she could do more to help the man she loved.

She gave a heavy sigh and made her way into the courtyard near the Herald's Rest, noticing that Krem and Skinner were loading a large barrel of whiskey onto a cart. “Ah, Inquisitor,” Krem called to her. “We're almost ready for our journey. Just making sure of a few last-minute provisions.”

“I certainly hope you all are not planning to stumble along the Imperial Highway, Krem? Because that's how this all looks,” Briseis laughed as she helped them shove it into place. She'd taken an immediate liking to Krem from the moment they met when he came to Haven to meet her. His kindness and loyalty had been a large part of why she refused to sacrifice the Chargers when she'd had an opportunity to ally with the Qunari. The Inquisitor knew that Bull's team mattered to him, even more than he actually realized as he confessed to her later. She also knew that Krem meant the most, despite Bull insisting that the Chargers all mattered to him equally. While that may have really been true, Krem was the only one Iron Bull had literally sacrificed an eye to save.

“Of course not, Inquisitor,” Krem replied. He leaned in towards her, “but could I have a moment of your time?” he asked. Briseis nodded, moving towards the practice dummies Cassandra had been fond of using.

“It's just that the chief began acting a little weird not long after we learned this trip,” Krem explained. “Not like he's worried, just like he's distracted. I know that we're going to Tevinter to support Dorian, but if you can give me anything to watch out for, I'd be grateful for it.”

The Inquisitor tilted her head to the side. “Did Bull say something?” she asked.

“No, my lady,” Krem answered. “But he's not the only one in this outfit that knows how to read people though. I think he's wary of going back near Tevinter. He's never been the biggest fan of Vints, you know.”

Briseis nodded. “This is true. I can tell you that this mission is extremely sensitive, so stay on your toes,” she said, “but if something really starts to bother you, send word along with the daily reports to Cullen. We'll be in the Hissing Wastes, but we will come meet you if becomes necessary.”

“I appreciate that, my lady,” Krem replied.

Briseis smiled. “Just don't take **all** the booze,” she pleaded.

Bull was leaning against the column just outside the tavern, a mug of ale in one of his giant hands. “Hey Boss,” he muttered, nodding towards her.

“Hey Bull,” she replied. “You alright?” she asked.

The Tal-Vashoth took a swig and shrugged. “Yeah, but,” he turned to face her. “I know something is going on. Since you pulled him out of bed a few days ago, Dorian's been more tight-lipped about this trip to Tevinter. I know there's more to it than than just visiting his father. He's not in any danger, is he?” he asked her.

Briseis shook her head. “No more than usual I hope. I do have him looking into a delicate matter for the Inquisition while he's there and he can tell you if it amounts to anything” she explained.

“Alright Boss. I know I can trust you,” he said. She gave him a smile before staring up at the battlements, looking for lights in Cullen's office and not finding any. Briseis sighed as she held up the crystal Dorian had just given her. “Did Dorian give you one of these?”

“Yeah,” Bull replied. “Said it was so that he could stay in contact with us while he's in Minrathous.”

“He told me the same thing,” she said. “Have him enchant yours so that you can contact me if something happens. I will gladly rain hell on Tevinter for Dorian's sake.”

“Will do, Boss,” he replied, slightly more relaxed than he had been when she found him. “And you'll be careful in the Wastes?”

“You know it,” she said. “See you in the morning when we leave.”

Briseis entered the keep and slowly made her way through the great hall, greeting those who called to her before entering the hallway that led to her quarters. As she approached, the door to her bedroom opened and Lydia stepped out and nearly bumped into her.

“Oh! Sorry, Inquis- Briseis!!” the serving girl said, remembering their conversation in Halamshiral. “I was just leaving your dinner for you.”

“Thank you, Lydia,” Briseis replied. “If you could, please make sure that Cullen also eats something while he's working in his office tonight?”

“That won't be necessary,” she heard a voice call from inside the room. Lydia's eyes glinted mischievously when she smiled slightly as she walked past the Inquisitor, who was happily surprised to see Cullen standing next to the dining table, where their dinner was waiting, dressed down in just a shirt and trousers.

“I thought you said you wouldn't be back until later tonight?” she asked.

“We managed to get through everything earlier,” Cullen said smiling. “And the last time I was here for dinner and a game, we were unfortunately interrupted,” he said to her, handing her a glass of wine. “I've made certain that won't happen tonight. Any concerns tonight will be directed to Rylen, although I think he may react the same way to interruptions. Word around Skyhold is that he's been spending time with Lysette recently. That may be why he just requested she be transferred to the Approach with him.”

“Really?!” Briseis replied taking a drink. “Well, I'm happy for them. Let's just hope he doesn't get interrupted at the worst possible moments like you do.” She glanced at the table to see that they were having roasted pork loin with asparagus and potatoes. Lydia had also arranged for them to have one of Briseis's favorites for dessert: tiramisu. “This looks amazing,” she gushed. “I just want to change out of these clothes first.”

“I had a feeling you would say that,” said Cullen. “Your dark blue nightgown is on top of the wardrobe.”

Her hazel-green eyes glinted mischievously at him. “Thought of everything, haven't you?” she teased as she grabbed the nightgown and stepped behind the screen.

“At least the parts that matter,” he replied smoothly as he sat at the table.

She poked her head around the screen, “we'll see when it's time to play,” she answered. “According to Dorian, I was winning that game before you got called away.”

Cullen laughed. “Dorian also thought he was winning the last time I played against him. Right up until he lost,” he countered.

“He was actually right in our case,” she told him. “All I would have needed to do was wait for you to move your bishop so my queen could take it.”

He chuckled again. “It was **your** turn, if I recall,” he said. She emerged from behind the screen, running her fingers through her hair to loosen her waves.

“It was,” she replied, taking the seat across from him. “I just needed to be patient.”

They'd been talking about their departure the following morning when she brought up her conversation with Iron Bull. “Will you let Dorian explain all of this to him if the need arises?” Cullen asked.

“If it comes to that, yes,” she replied. “It'll likely go over easier that way.” She looked up at him. “But how are you feeling? It seemed that you slept well last night.”

Cullen's eyes met hers. “I did,” he replied. “But that's not something I want to discuss tonight. At least not when we still have tiramisu waiting and I'm ready to win our game” he teased, trying to divert the subject.

She chose to respect his wishes and looked over her glass to see his golden eyes flash wickedly. “Only if you're lucky,” she said.

Lydia arrived a few moments after they'd finished dessert, bringing them another bottle of wine as she collected their tray. Briseis set the board as Cullen put out some of the candles around the room. They were nearing the end of their game as she moved to take his knight when she felt his gaze on her. “Cullen?” she asked, looking up at him.

“You just look so... beautiful,” he said on a breath.

She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. “Flattery isn't going to keep you from losing,” she quipped.

He grinned at her, but shook his head. “I'm serious, Briseis,” he said. “Right now, you are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.” He moved his castle to take one of her bishops.

She flashed him a smile. “Is that why you're letting me win?” she asked him, using her queen to take the offending castle.

Cullen smiled back. “But you _haven't_ won,” he teased as he moved his bishop, before his eyes slowly rose to meet hers.

“Checkmate,” he said softly.

Briseis looked at the board in shock, then back at him. He leaned back, wearing that satisfied smirk that never ceased to make her skin tingle. “Well played, Commander,” she purred.

“Thank you, my lady,” he replied. “Shall I put the board away?”

She nodded as she stood up and stretched while he packed away the pieces and put the board into the cabinet. “I'm always antsy the night before I have to go into the field, so I'm still not ready to go to sleep just yet,” she said coyly.

He quietly crossed the room and drew her into his arms, letting his fingers travel across the bare skin exposed at her low back. He felt her soft intake of breath as she shivered slightly at his touch. “Neither am I,” he whispered, his voice husky and low. “You played really well tonight.”

Briseis tilted her head up to meet his eyes. She could see his golden irises being eclipsed quickly by his pupils. “Next time, I'll win,” she breathed, as her left hand began drifting up to his curls.

“Are you saying you want a rematch?” he challenged her. His fingers began traveling up her back, causing her eyes to flutter shut.

“Of course I do,” she drawled. “But I see no reason why I shouldn't let you savor your victory tonight.” She opened her eyes again, certain that they now reflected the desire in his.

Cullen stared at her intensely. “I'm definitely going to savor every bit of this,” he said, closing his mouth over hers.

Briseis's arms instinctively closed around his neck, her hands running through his hair as he gathered her up, locking her legs around his waist. She opened her mouth slightly, inviting his tongue inside as she pressed herself against him, her breathing deepening as he carried her towards the bed. Cullen set her down on the edge, letting her move into kneeling as he removed his shirt. She slipped the straps of her nightgown off her shoulders, exposing herself to him as he took in her appearance.

“You really are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen,” he breathed, softly grabbing a handful of her hair and pulling her into a kiss that threatened to seize her heart.

He climbed onto the bed with her as he deepened the kiss and pushed her nightgown down past her hips with his free hand. His calloused fingers slipped over the top of her silky smalls, guiding them closer to her knees. Briseis had already unlaced his trousers with her deft fingers, quickly slipping them over his firm ass and letting her fingers graze his flesh. He was already hardened, but she let her hand move across him for a few strokes before he guided her back onto the bed, pulling her nightgown and smalls over her bare legs. He freed himself of the trousers that had suddenly become annoying to him and quickly climbed back on top of her.

She caressed his face as he drew closer to hers, letting him kiss her palm. Cullen let his stubble graze her cheek as he whispered in her ear, causing her to tremble. “I want a taste first,” he said.

Before she could blink, he'd moved downward and was running his tongue across her, the tip lightly caressing her flesh in a way that had her feeling as though the room spun around them. His biceps flexed slightly as he hooked his arms around her thighs. Briseis could already feel the heat rising when his lips maneuvered upward slightly, sucking at her core as she gasped loudly. He moaned his approval at her reaction, letting his tongue flicker and swirl occasionally as her body arched and she clutched at the sheets. He took his time, but sped up as he could tell she was getting close when he felt her toes curling into the bedding. “Cullen!” she cried as he continued to push her towards the edge. Her hips began to buck wildly as she grabbed a handful of his curls and screaming in orgasm as every candle in their quarters lit up.

Her body relaxed as she slowly caught her breath and he looked up at her as he licked his lips and smiled. “Sweeter every time,” he purred. “But now...”

Cullen moved upwards, nipping at her collarbone as she slipped her legs around the backs of his thighs. He lined himself up with her opening, smirking slightly when she shuddered as she felt his tip hardened against her entrance. He thrust slowly, hearing her small gasp as he entered her.

“Maker's breath, you have no idea what that sound does to me,” Cullen growled in her ear. He withdrew slowly and thrust again. He took his time with her at first, watched as her brows knitted in pleasure as they rocked against each other. Her fingers began kneading into his back as she reveled in the intensity of their lovemaking as her hips undulated with his movements. As his tempo quickened, Briseis's cries grew louder and she grabbed at his curls again when he hooked his arms around the back of her knees, pushing them upward towards her ears as he began to thrust even faster and more erratic. Cullen's groans became more rapid and louder as they both reached their peaks, her legs shuddering as they came.

Cullen rested on his arms, still throbbing inside her and breathing heavily in her ear as he struggled to catch his breath. He could see the strands of hair sticking to the sides of her face and sweat glistening on her caramel skin near the coin in her necklace. He kissed her temple as she closed her eyes, a slight smile appearing at her lips as he moved towards her brow and then to the tip of her nose. Briseis moaned slightly as he softly kissed her on the lips before withdrawing from her and lying beside her. “Could you sleep now?” he asked her.

Briseis's eyes opened and she giggled as she rolled towards him and kissed him softly. “I think I can sleep, but it would probably be better if I put out all these candles.” she said. “At least nothing caught fire.”

He laughed. “Well not this time,” he said watching her wave her hand to extinguish the candles. They crawled under the sheets, with Briseis placing her head on his chest. She quickly gave way to sleep, her thoughts turning to the Hissing Wastes while he silently prays for a peaceful night's sleep.


End file.
